High-Performance RF Optical Links

摘要

Transferring a master reference signal across a research campus or even across a region is a key activity for a timing facility. In the past, the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) has used techniques ranging from coaxial cables to basic fiber links to transfer 5 MHz Master Clock signals. Recently, USNO installed new fiber runs on its campus, along with newly designed laser modules. Several months of data have now been collected with the new transceivers driving these inter-building fiber links. The modules were also tested in an environmental chamber to evaluate their temperature sensitivities. The laser modules alone show more than a factor of 10 improvement over previous transceivers used at USNO. We are also investigating actively stabilized laser links to further improve our ability to transfer Master Clock signals.